GLAAD Spokesman Hits Back After Alec Baldwin Blamed Him for Talk Show Cancellation

November 28, 2013 02:25:01 GMT

'Alec Baldwin's team has not been open to turning this incident into an opportunity for public education,' so Rich Ferraro says after Baldwin claimed the gay rights activist 'killed' his MSNBC show.

GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro has responded to Alec Baldwin's claim that "the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy," led by Ferraro and writer Andrew Sullivan, "killed" his MSNBC show. The Vice President of Communication of the LGBT organization thinks the actor failed to learn a lesson from the situation.

"I consider GLAAD's campaigns to end the Boy Scout of America's ban on gay scouts, raise national visibility of the violence and inequality facing transgender people, and battling for marriage equality to be among my 'greatest triumphs,' " Ferraro says in a statement.

"But if a teacher, coach, local radio show host, or parent realizes that anti-LGBT slurs are outdated and unacceptable because of this Baldwin issue, I guess we'll call it a win. Alec Baldwin's team has not been open to turning this incident into an opportunity for public education and that's unfortunate."

MSNBC cut ties with Baldwin after the former "30 Rock" star landed in hot water for allegedly throwing a gay slur at a paparazzo in New York City. The network announced on Tuesday, November 26, "We are jointly confirming that Up Late will not continue on MSNBC. This is a mutual parting and we wish Alec all the best."

Baldwin later told Gothamist, "I dispute half the comment I made... if I called him 'c**ksucking maggot' or a 'c**ksucking motherf****r'... 'f****t' is not the word that came out of my mouth. That I know. But you've got the fundamentalist wing of gay advocacy-Rich Ferraro and Andrew Sullivan-they're out there, they've got you. Rich Ferraro, this is probably one of his greatest triumphs. They killed my show. And I have to take some responsibility for that myself."